Back in June I had 21 ash trees removed from my yard. All of them were killed by the emerald ash borer. The tree service gave me hardship pricing, but it still cost more than both of my two little cars are worth together. The tree people took as much care as they could to protect my turf, but they had no choice but to drive enormous lift trucks all over my suburban yard, drop heavy logs onto the ground, and grind out all those stumps. It left my yard looking like war-torn Syria. So I’ve made a bunch of trips to Home Depot and Lowe’s, and even to Walmart and Meijer (midwestern Walmart-like big-box store) for endless bags of dirt, grass seed, fertilizer, and even nine boxwood bushes, as bit by bit I restored the landscape. It was on one of those trips that I came upon this BMW 2002.

These weren’t common here in Rustopia. It’s unusual to see one at all. But I can’t imagine carrying leaking bags of dirt, compost, and peat moss home in one, like I did in my Focus. That stuff soiled the carpet cover in the hatchback. But whatevs, you know? A quick hit with my carpet cleaner and it’ll look like new. Even if I never get to it, it’s an old Ford with a lot of miles. It’s passed the point where ground-in schmutz can hurt its resale value.

Or maybe the kind of person who drives a vintage BMW to Home Depot has the scratch to buy the big-ticket items there, such as all new kitchen appliances, and have them delivered. If that’s the case, I’ll be Home Depot would love to see its parking lots full of 2002s. Because dirt just isn’t a high-margin business.

61 Comments

Half the time I go to HD/Lowe’s it’s for small stuff…tools, fasteners, light fixtures, etc. So if it’s something like that, why not take the fun car?

The other half of the time I wish I had a pickup. No way I’d put soil/mulch/boards/etc in a classic BMW. (Though I have very scientifically determined that you can put more bags of mulch in the trunk of a Crown Vic than you might be inclined to think at first.)

I agree on both points, every trip to the home improvement store is not for dirty or big/bulky items a lot of times that I go it is for something small and clean that won’t even fill one of the standard shopping bags.

I can’t say I’ve carried lots of bags of mulch/dirt/rock in my CVs since I have a nice local place you can buy in bulk but I have put a number of bags of cement, concrete blocks and other heavy/dirty items in the various ones I’ve owned over the years. Air suspension is preferred though if you are going to put 3-400lbs of stuff in the trunk though a P71 is certainly better than a steel sprung civilian model.

My father in law put tile all over one of his bathrooms a few years ago. He hauled it all in the trunk of his Crown Vic – can’t remember which one. Anyway, I figured up the weight of it all and it was between 1500 and 2000 pounds. Another time he loaded up the trunk of his ’93 Vic with a bunch of bricks I had lying around. The bumper was hanging low, but it didn’t faze the car any.

I can’t say I’ve ever gone that crazy. I think the worst was something like 8 or 10 80lb bags of concrete and that was in one with the air suspension. It took a while for the compressor to stop running but it leveled it out just fine. Now getting that last bag out was quite a lift as the car was now about topped out from removing the rest. Had I thought more about it I should have closed the trunk every couple of bags and let it vent to normal ride height.

Very nice. I’ll wager that this booster of the IUPUI Jaguars (a local commuter college) is looking for a few boxes of lightbulbs, or maybe some Halloween decorations. Shoot, the place is probably awash in Christmas decor by now.

Though I always liked the earlier versions with the smaller bumpers and the round taillights, these are still attractive enough.

Maggie and I walked into the local Home Depot this past Monday to pick up a few minor bits. I take one look around, turn to Maggie and say, “Would it be incredibly tacky if I screamed ‘It’s not Halloween yet!’ at the top of my lungs?”

October 26th, and the Halloween decorations were already shoved into a small corner off to the side of the store.

The kids know that that gets my goat. Last night #2Son went to WallyWorld to get pumpkins, and made a special point to text me a picture of yhe Christmas trees. Apparently he hadn’t thought through the potential ramifications of annoying Dad before Christmas.
When they got home, Daughter helpfully pointed out that it’s less than 2 months to Christmas. (Aaarrrggghhhh!!!!)

I’d rather go to Menard’s than any of the other retailers listed. For that matter, my little local Small’s hardware is my go-to for most items. Shop local when possible.

On the subject of the E10, I like the IDEA of owning one, but in the real world, a 325is (E30 body) with galvanized body shell would be a better real-world bet. Even those are getting rare around here, in Rustville USA.

When was the alst time you saw even a 320i that wasn’t rusted to bits? There’s one really nice one I see occasionally, and that’s it.

Only 2002 I’ve ever spent any time with belonged to a friend in high school. It was a ’76 model with the clown car bumpers that by the mid ’80s had developed severe rocker panel rust – IN HOUSTON!

+1 for Menards. Just walking in there gives you motivation to quickly find what you’re looking for and get back to your project. Otherwise you’ll be subjected to the “Save Big Money” jingle every 10 minutes!

David, IIRC you’re an old North County guy so you’ll appreciate this. Last year a huge new Menards (is there any other kind?) was built on part of the old Northwest Plaza property on the Rock Road just east of Lindbergh. It sat empty for over six months after completion. Even the fixtures were all in place. All that was missing was merchandise and people. At night it was lit up inside and out as if it were open for business. It finally opened this past spring.

I drive my classic cars to run errands all the time. Last weekend I hauled a trash load to the dump in my 68 Coronet R/T and then to the gym for a quick workout before going to a car show. In the end, its a car and if it cant live up to the basic expectations of being a car, whats the point of owning it?

I hate Home Depot (and Lowes); the last time I went to one, I asked the clueless teenager working the outdoor equipment section about a lawnmower blade and he had no idea what I was talking about. I only go to the big box stores if my local hardware store or lumber yard doesnt have what I need.

My middle bother (still 10 yrs older than me) bought a new ’68 Coronet R/T (B-5 Blue, white vinyl top & stripe, black interior, auto/buckets & console) the first weekend it was in the showroom at Hinckley’s Dodge, SLC, Utah. He had just returned from Viet Nam and was stationed at Dugway Proving Grounds (med-core).

Just a gorgeous car, and we don’t even have to talk about powerful! I passed on the opportunity to buy it ($800.00) 4 years later, when his growing family dictacted the purchase of a ’73 Coronet wagon. As a reckless eighteen year old, that was probably a wise decision (might not be writing this today…).

Instead, some months later, I bought a new ’73 MGB, and have owned an open 2-seat sportscar continously from then on. Somewhere, I picked up the notion that yes, while going fast in a straight line was cool, maintaining the speed through corners was cooler ;))

After I win the lottery, a ’68 Coronet R/T is on the short list, right after the ’64 Sport Fury 426 Wedge (even a clone) since that would replicate my real 1st car (‘cept mine was dad’s 106,000 mile Sport Fury with a 318/auto).

Wow, that was a sharp car! I love blues and greens on B-Bodys. And don’t discount what these cars can do in corners; fat tires and good shocks go a long way in making a Mopar handle, then add bigger torsion and sway bars and you have a car that will out-corner modern sports sedans. Mine is green with a 4 speed and no console., also bought new by a serviceman in Vietnam.

I frequently use one mine for transportation for parts to repair what ever needs done for home or rental’s and use 97 Ford f250 + trailer to haul large items. Typically you can see one of my 63 lemans conv., 64 Mercury Montclair, 75 Grand Prix or Ventura, or one of my 86 Grand Prix’s at Jerry’s Home Improvement stores here locally Norm S if it’s a very small part you may see a Vintage Motor Cycle from my collection. If you don’t use them you loose them.

Until I parked it and moved out of state I was almost daily driving my ’52 Ford F-3. Lack of defrost in the PNW was the worse part, and kept it home some days. I had a short commute on back roads so that really helped.

Ah, a store name pedant. Don’t worry, I can be one too–think it comes from my time working at Barnes & Noble during college and having to repeatedly inform people not to make their checks out to Barnes & Nobles in the plural.

Don’t even get me started on the people who would write their checks out to Borders, Waldenbooks, or Books-a-Million, There wasn’t even a Books-a-Million within 50 miles of us.

I guess this doesn’t really happen anymore now that no one writes checks?

Yeah I agree with the point made that a trip to HD or any big box hardware store doesn’t mean mulch trip. I’d say 75% of the cars in parking lot there on weekends don’t get loaded with more than 4 or 5 bags of smaller packaged items, well within the 2002s abilities.

This is also THE place to park in a lot if you care about the car you’re running real errands with, I always look for the spot next to an island, and get nice and close to the curb of it. All the benefits of double parking without being an asshole.

BMW 2002’s have gotten quite expensive, but at the core, they are still pretty basic. The trunk of a 2002 has no carpet, only two vinyl covered boards to cover the gas tank and the spare tire. A little mulch can’t do much damage in there…

“Curbside Classic is a general interest automotive site with a special emphasis on documenting the older cars still on our streets,”

Isn’t this the exact definition of what your website is supposed to be documenting and discussing? If no one drives their vintage car to Home Depot or the grocery store or to the gym there wouldn’t be too many classics at the curbside or on the street.

I saw one of these 2002s just last week there seem to be two about locally in pale yellow and pale metallic blue, they look much better without those stupid big bumpers on, as for home improvement stores this was found at the local Mitre 10 Mega on one of my visits.

The entire point of a car is to drive it! So why wouldn’t one take a classic to the store? If the car will do the thing you’re trying to do with it, who cares? I regularly haul small quantities of building materials in my Fiesta ST (including lumber). I’ve taken my ’78 Continental to Home Depot countless times, and it’s hauled everything from luggage with dress clothes to firewood.

I like that this site celebrates old metal still roaming the roads. I think it wholly appropriate that the old metal do the things new metal does. How better to truly experience and appreciate the differences and similarities of an old car than by doing regular things with it? My commute is that little bit less soul-crushing when I’m at least enjoying the car in which I’m commuting. It’s fun to look at my partner and say, “Which car should we take?”

I do not understand people that have classic cars but never drive them. If I wanted something fancy to look at but be too afraid to use I would buy an antique rifle or something NOT a vehicle that can be enjoyed on a daily basis.

Maybe its because I don’t live in a third world poophole or a road salt infested winter wonderland but man classic cars just simply are not that rare out here in California. They are just not. One of these days I am going to take pictures of every pre 1975 car I come across on a weekly and daily basis. Just this morning I passed a super clean teal 1966 Galaxie and a 1964 Impala. Welcome to my Thursday morning commute….

I am surprised that you can find any cars from pre-2000 in California. I thought they would have legislated them out(like they do everything else in that Nanny State that is called CA) as causes of pollution.

In the state I live in(on the east coast of the USA) almost everything in packaging in the stores carries a label that says this has been found to cause cancer by the State of California. Seriously? I am starting to think it is Cali that is causing the cancer and not a product in the store.

Amen to that. It gets tiring to see that the only driving a classic car does is from the garage to the trailer, then from the trailer to the place it is being taken to and then back on the trailer to go back in the garage.

Not to be mean but the classic car was once just a regular car on the road surrounded by many others of the same type and drove fine. As long as the car is taken care of, it should be fine on the road still for occasional rides to the Home Depot and other places.

daily work commute
go grocery shopping
auto parts store runs
hardware store runs
drive ins
mfing Jack n the box
trips to SF for Giants games
pick up Olympic barbell and weight set
take the dogs to the vet
take the dogs to the river
take friends and family to the airport
camping trips to Tahoe or the coast
help friends and family move
transporting furniture

basically use the got dang thing like it was designed to be used and not treat it like its a farking piece of artwork only to be admired from afar and rubbed with the occasional cloth diaper.

Our very clean Z3 is garaged most of the time, but gets out at least once a week when the weather’s decent. It’s not quite in the league of a 40-year-old 2002, but with one of us traveling, it falls out of the rotation if we don’t make an effort. I think you need to drive a classic/semi-classic car on a regular basis, if for no other reason that things will deteriorate without you catching them until it’s too late to catch up on the maintenance/repairs.

Now that I agree with!!! I was so excited for the 1-series, and then it was just a shrunken, 150 lb lighter 3-series. Never saw the point. I was hoping for a more upright cabin like the 2002 had and the Mini has. I would love to have seen it turn out like a rwd mini cooper with a trunk.

Oftentimes, your classic car insurance policy will stipulate certain conditons that must be followed in the event of a claim. Having said that, I DRIVE my classic for enjoyment, if I need to stop at a store, so be it. If I’m going to THE Home Depot (LOL!) that is what my pickup is for. 🙂

The only problem with them, and a lot (all?) other companies that provide classic-specific insurance, is they won’t write you a policy if the vehicle is not garaged overnight. Some of us who don’t have garages still want to own a classic, perhaps if not overly valuable ones.

I’ve been forced to use my classic Mercedes as a utility vehicle hauling contractor bags of debris to the dump. *sigh* I worry more about what you may drive over when going near or around construction sites than what junk may be in my trunk. I’ve lost two tires to punctures from Lord knows what.

Also, it’s possible that this nice clean 2002 could be someone’s only vehicle. If they don’t strictly need a car daily (i.e. work from home or take public transportation, live in a walkable area, etc.) then it could be a viable option.

I’ve taken my Cadillac Fleetwood all sorts of places – as others have said, use a car, that what it is for, and it is good for it to be used regularly.

Did take the Caddy to the STD clinic once after getting its 6 monthly warrant of fitness check (WOF as its called here) for my own personal WOF…. only to find that parking at the clinic was somewhat tight for a full size American land yacht 🙂

For some years the Cadillac was my only car, although not quite a daily driver as I cycled to work

Why wouldn’t you drive it to Home Depot if you had one? If you need to haul dirty stuff, the trunk is just metal, cardboard and vinyl and you can put a tarp down if you like. If you like the car enough you will look for any excuse to drive it. I’ve done Target runs and grocery shopping in my 911 just because I wanted to drive it, and I don’t even normally drive to shop at all.